“… a ‘Herbstfreude’. The border varieties of Stonecrop are a dependable choice for the late summer and fall garden, offering foliage interest earlier in the season, then a colourful display of flowers in the fall. Autumn Joy is by far the most popular of these, a familiar sight when it begins to produce green broccoli-like buds in mid-summer, which gradually open into enormous dusty-pink flower heads, finally deepening to rich bronzy-red. Even the dead flower heads have good winter effect. In rich soils, plants may be pinched in June to prevent floppiness. A classic perennial!” Heritage Perennials

“Sedum is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, members of which are commonly known as stonecrops. The genus has been described as containing up to 600 species [2] of leaf succulents that are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, varying from annual and creeping herbs to shrubs. The plants have water-storing leaves. The flowers usually have five petals, seldom four or six. There are typically twice as many stamens as petals. A number of species, formerly classified as Sedum, are now a separate genus Hylotelephium.

Well known European Sedums are Sedum acre, Sedum album, Sedum dasyphyllum, Sedum reflexum (also known as Sedum rupestre) and Sedum hispanicum… Numerous hybrid cultivars have been developed, of which the following have gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit:’Herbstfreude’ (‘Autumn Joy’), ‘Bertram Anderson’, ‘Matrona’, ‘Ruby Glow’.”

August 7, 2014

Speedwell ‘Candied Candles’ Veronica longifolio pink, acquired from Epic PlantsHeight: 20″/50cm
Width: 14″/35cmSpread: 7-9Blossoms: Spires, rose pink,Foliage: Tidy, thick clump, attractive dark green leavesBees: This plant is so full of bees that it is a challenge to find branches easy to cut without disturbing the bees’ workCut flowers: excellent tall, handsome flowers that goes well with so many other flowers blooming at this timeCompanions: butterfly plant; Joe Pye Weed; Pink roses; Bee balm (unfortunately for the plant, I have been cutting too much because I love the leaves for my tisane);Notes for 2015: It needs anther perennial at the base of the plant that grows high enough to hide ‘Candied Candles’ lower leaves that turn brown.Garden Bed: Poppies and Roses, a perennial border along the inner corner fences at the northeast of the lot. This well-drained area with fertile soil gets lots of late morning and early afternoon light from the south and late afternoon sun from the west.

Gardening notes for 7 August 2014.

We made our first trip to Bow Point Nursery to the west of Calgary. Their healthy perennials, grasses, native plants, shrubs and trees are inspirational. I purchased 4 6″ plugs of Silver Willow at $5 each, the plant that is recommended by the Calgary Horticultural Society to replace some (not all) of my Wolf Willow and Prairie Sage, both of which have the same silvery colour but tend to spread via strong roots. They have really beautiful and healthy larger specimens at $70 for the gallon sized. Mine will take years to be that big. I also purchased 1 6″ plug of Heart-leaved Arnica. Arden from Wild about Flowers. I first noticed this wild flower at Waterton National Park on the Bear’s Hump walking trail during their wild flower festival. When planting native plants I am patient and plan for future years. Often in the first year the plants sleep. Then in the second or third year they bolt and some, like wild strawberries, may even need to be divided. While we were at Bow Point Nursery Carmen helped me identify a plant I have in my garden without a label. It is the elder berry. The branches of the tall, lush and healthy specimens at their nursery were laden with ripe berries. I had just transplanted mine to find it a better home because many of the leaves appeared to be shriveled. She also identified the goose berry. I think I have a small specimen in my garden too.

Bees and butterflies are loving my garden right now. The lavender and mother-of-thyme are alive with them.

The numbers in this image taken 25 July 2011, refer to the list of individual plants in my garden on this page.

The numbers in this image taken 25 July 2011, refer to the list of individual plants in my garden on this page.

Mid-summer cutting back

See this useful site on Deadheading perennials I have referred to their list and their advice for plants in my own garden.

In my garden some perennials like Lamium need constant cutting back even during winter chinooks and late winter. Lamium, creeping veronica, creeping thyme, creeping phlox can be divided and transplanted in my garden in almost any season.

The stems of spent flowers on early bloomers like armeria (Sea Pink, Common Thrift) can be cut back and they may rebloom sporadically.

If I can catch the right timing with the Cransebill geraniums, Avens, achillea (Yarrow), wind anemones in late June or early July, cutting back encourages a late season bloom and keeps them tidier. I clip the alyssum compactum and the Royal Wedding Poppy back because it just looks too messy after they have bloomed.

For some perennials like arabis(Rockcress) and Snow-in-summer, cutting back the flowers after flowering will encourage denser, neater foliage. They will not rebloom. Left on its own without cutting back, snow-in-summer is attractive to garden slugs. Snow-in-summer can be divided and transplanted in my garden in almost any season although the hottest part of summer is the most challenging for any plant divisions.

For some perennials like columbines, it is better to wait until the foliage fails before cutting it back although dead-heading for more blooms is recommended. These plants will not have a second late season bloom.

Some varieties of some perennials like delphineum (Larkspur) may rebloom. They benefit from removal of spent flowers and the stem can be cut back to a leaf bud to encourage side shoots.

There are some plants like artemesia (Wormwood, Sagebrush, Prairie Sage) and yarrow with ample foliage that I cut back frequently even in late June as it will regrow. Yarrow will reflower but Prairie Sage won’t. Prairie Sage smells great in the compost. If I wait too long it is leggy and unsightly. This plant is used in First Nation’s smudging ceremonies.

Mid-summer cutting back

See this useful site on Deadheading perennials I have referred to their list and their advice for plants in my own garden.

In my garden some perennials like Lamium need constant cutting back even during winter chinooks and late winter. Lamium, creeping veronica, creeping thyme, creeping phlox can be divided and transplanted in my garden in almost any season.

The stems of spent flowers on early bloomers like armeria (Sea Pink, Common Thrift) can be cut back and they may rebloom sporadically.

If I can catch the right timing with the Cransebill geraniums, Avens, achillea (Yarrow), wind anemones in late June or early July, cutting back encourages a late season bloom and keeps them tidier. I clip the alyssum compactum and the Royal Wedding Poppy back because it just looks too messy after they have bloomed.

For some perennials like arabis(Rockcress) and Snow-in-summer, cutting back the flowers after flowering will encourage denser, neater foliage. They will not rebloom. Left on its own without cutting back, snow-in-summer is attractive to garden slugs. Snow-in-summer can be divided and transplanted in my garden in almost any season although the hottest part of summer is the most challenging for any plant divisions.

For some perennials like columbines, it is better to wait until the foliage fails before cutting it back although dead-heading for more blooms is recommended. These plants will not have a second late season bloom.

Some varieties of some perennials like delphineum (Larkspur) may rebloom. They benefit from removal of spent flowers and the stem can be cut back to a leaf bud to encourage side shoots.

There are some plants like artemesia (Wormwood, Sagebrush, Prairie Sage) and yarrow with ample foliage that I cut back frequently even in late June as it will regrow. Yarrow will reflower but Prairie Sage won’t. Prairie Sage smells great in the compost. If I wait too long it is leggy and unsightly. This plant is used in First Nation’s smudging ceremonies.”]

Gardening to do list mid-July:

July is the time for adding more compost to the beds. Roses and some of the other flowering plants need more fish fertilizer. I can never have enough mulch. It would have been better if more mulch had been added before the July heat.

The Prairie Sage is flowering. The clusters of small yellow blossoms become untidy quickly and the stalks too weak to stand alone. They can be easily pulled out to the roots or cut back. I love the smell of mugwort and it is great for the compost. But it leans on other plants and takes a lot of room. The Calgary Horticultural Society recommends the Powderface Willow in their Native Plant Portrait in their October/November 2013 issue. It is a tidy plant that can also replace the Wolf Willow (Silverberry). It is available at Bow Point Nursery in the Calgary area.

Bachelor’s buttons are also looking ungainly. I planted them in areas that I was just developing. Now that I know how well things grow in these spaces I will be replacing the Bachelor’s Buttons. They are good filler plants and the leaves are not ugly but they do need work with either pruning and/or support and they can become invasive.